My Vein
by IZZY-CHAN13
Summary: King Candy / Turbo's POV. Within the events of the film, he finally captures the source of his problems. The glitch. His Vane.. (Originally published on deviantART in November 2014. Based on the events of the "Nightmare" and "Sour Confessions" fanfictions, and the "Candy-Coated Heart of Darkness" comic AU)


I tense up. I'm miles away from where I left him.

Wynchel and Duncan come my way in their truck. The sun hits my eyes and I shield against it. I make a grimace and give them a knowing nod.

"Isth he..?"

"We haven't seen him."

Something told me that I should return to the place where I had my little chat, my dramatic performance, with Wreck-it-Ralph. I had no idea where she was really; just figured that she and him would… be together.

Churning in my stomach made me flinch; I held back and wound myself up,

"Follow me."

I open the door slowly, leaning against the side of the seat before settling on its cushion. My mind draws a blank and they give me odd looks. I respond with a mean face and rev the engine.

She's got to be there.

* * *

Sure enough, there she was. Pose pathetic, kicking at a piece of debris. When I idle a little closer I see that it's a part of the kart they made—He destroyed it! The part of me that needed to preserve the way things were leapt in joy, but all I could do was gulp down a strange guilt.

I hated feeling that; it only reminded me of that night. Call me weak; I cried myself to sleep that time. My throat went dry and I failed to say anything—no remark or insult. She had her back to me. I bet she already knew who it was, coming up behind her. The actor wants to put her into a stranglehold, but all I do is settle my hands on her shoulders.

Dammit. I still couldn't say anything. Hearing something that made me uneasy, I buried my face in her hair. This girl didn't bother to give a quip about me finally tracking her down.. It's your fault for showing up. Now, I have you again, Vanellope von Schweetz.

I believe we stayed like that for a minute or two, gazing at the destruction before us. To make it convincing to my security guards who were beginning to question with their brows, I pulled her to the opened back of the truck. I was rather gentle about it—She didn't resist at all. Why? Once I look back, I know. I grit my teeth and about pushed her into the depths before shutting the double doors.

"Mission Accomplished."

Both of them have on stupid grins. I can't get mad at them and I feign a smile of triumph, adjusting my tie and pulling my coat over my chest, thumbs sticking in, "A-hoo~"

To complete the act, I hop back into the car and the engine starts with rhythmic sounds. The tires screech the chocolate powder ground and we ride off to the kingdom. The goggles I've snapped on help little with the glare—!

* * *

I am not liking the expression that Sour Bill's giving me. I twirl around my cane and give an odd smirk; he got the message and left. I'm not joyful, but apprehensive. But she's here now. Chained up, but she's here now.

Oh, my Vanellope..!

My mind shakes off images I shouldn't be….

To be kissing her while she's helpless.

No. Shut the hell up, Turbo. You know what you tried to do. You should be dead.

I should be dead.

My limbs ignore my obsessive chants and I found myself in the abyss of the Fungeon, about elated if it wasn't for the fact…

Fingers feel around for a cold object and whisk it out of my pocket and into the lock. It gives a definite screw and click and the wooden panel creaks open.

Why can't I say anything?

I want to hold and comfort her immediately. The light in her jungle eyes has escaped again. Can't stand seeing her like this. I want her to be happy. Grateful.

 _Ungrateful brat._

Inwardly shuddering.

"What do you want?"

Good good; I don't need to be the one to start the conversation now!

"I came to thee you." Sounding unnaturally meek than from what I had rehearsed. "Just felt that I should talk with you.. "

 _That's all. I've always wanted open dialogue with you, Vanellope. Let me in before it's too late._

We finally make direct eye contact. It's obvious that we're both seeing this as the weirdest situation that we've ever been in. Even more so because I know more of her than she'll ever remember.

I stop myself from convulsing, "Thorry it has to be this way, Vanellope."

She's astonished; did she expect me to say "glitch"?

Sweetie—I may act mean and I do get angry sometimes, but I'm not a monster!

I sigh sharply, and close the door behind me. There's a horrid scoff that grates my ears. "Oh you must be _really_ 'thorry' huh?" I wait for more from her but get little else; I'm shocked.

I don't know why but I want to yell at her, _What's wrong with you?!_

That's the dumbest thing to ask. I just crushed her dreams again. Not literally; I have the bad guy to thank for that.

"I want to be. Life isthn't fair ya know?"

'Ya know'? Uh…

Clearing my throat, "You shouldn't have come back." I add a tinge of bitterness wondering if this would give her a hint that I cared, "I warned you."

She's now glaring at me. It's so mild compared to what I got used to. My brows scrunch together even while my face fell. We have a long pause. She contracted her lips and looked off to the side.

"Candy."

My mug got warm and tingly all over. Although she was already turned away from me, I had to turn myself to the nearest wall, certain that I had gone red. She still uses my name without the title! My breathing gone uneven. I almost smile of all things.

"You should just leave."

I about choke on my tongue ready to spew something about our past. When I'm sure my cheeks have stopped burning, I swerve back,

"I try to be _niceth_ and thisth isth what I get?"

I hear half a laugh before she goes neutral again. My feet lead me to where she's staring at, forcing her to have me in her view. "Vanellope. I won't just leave. I want. I want to talk."

I search her eyes for some emotion, "Please."

Forbidden fantasies are cut short when I distance myself away from her.

"What's there to talk about?"

… What is there?

"So, um, where were you living at?"

Truth to tell I was genuinely curious.

"I'm not telling you."

Great. She's not giving me any means to continue the conversation in a casual way. Now because of it I'm going to default on this,

"Why did you try esthcaping the first time?"

Vanellope rolled her eyes—there's a crazed sadness about her that won't vanish.

A cross between a groan and a whine, "There's no point in trying to explain that to you now."

I really should stop thinking about that night. Biting my lip after turning away from her again. Letting out a breath. Hands on the top of the cane. Fingers restless, I'm getting irritated, already tired.

"Well, if you weren't trying to esthcape, then what wasth it?

Silence was all I heard for a while. I had come up with some of the most elaborate theories as to why she—

"I wanted you to build a separate race track for me."

.. What?

"I figured you wouldn't ever let me race for real so I wanted to make a kart, surprise you… Well I thought it would be enough to just race against you when you weren't busy."

Really? That was what she wanted! All the fuss I made—I got angry and felt betrayed because of something simple like that! And what I ended up doing.

My hand barely covers my mouth, "kk—hoo hoo hoo hoo..!"

"What's wrong with you?"

I don't bother to see what expression she'd have on now; my giggling ends. "You could have told me, girl. I would have done it for ya."

Becoming more serious as my hand glued itself over the ball end of the peppermint stick, "But you went ahead and infiltrated the raceth, and made a kart with Ralph." I continue despite myself, "I never asthked him to destroy the kart, but it'sh a good thing he did!"

".. Shut up, Candy." Her now small voice strained. I watch her close to tearing up.

"Did you like him?"

What—What did I just ask?! He's not supposed to be a part of this!

Thinking it over, they happened to get close real quick. What took me eons to do, that guy had done within a _day!_ I bet that the only reason this happened was because he was helping her get into the race. If I had let her do that from the get-go she would have had more respect for me—she would have liked me early on! .. No; I wouldn't be here.

"What's it to you?" In a dead tone.

What is it to me?

"Nothing."

What a terrible feeling.

"… It'sh pointless for me to asthk this of you, but why do you insthist on racing?"

"Pssh, as if you ever cared to listen."

In desperation, "Now! Now I'll listhen!"

She gave a sigh and bit her dry lip before one word, "Respect."

.. Respect.

"Isth that all? You don't have to raceth! I can give you that!"

"I'm talking about _everyone_ , Candy."

"That'sth just fine!" I get on my knees right in front of her, setting the cane down. Her eyes shot open wide. She's clearly caught off guard. "I can guarantee you resthpect from everyone in this kingdom. I have power over them to make sure that they _never_ insthult you again! They'll resthpect you, revere you.. ! I can give you your own wing in the casthle even!"

I clamp onto the chained brace, my fingers freezing by the millisecond—"I can do that for you."

. . . "I don't want your help. However I gain respect, I want it to be earned through my part. I won't cheat by using you as a barrier from them."

I'm staring up at her. She sounded more like a grown woman with each syllable. I feel inferior underneath the gaze of her stone countenance.

".. Fine, Vanellope." I can't move from my kneel for about a minute. I think I forgot to breathe. My hands sink and almost touch her legs; I move them inward on the stump to lift myself up to my numb feet with the staff back in my hold… I want to tell her something.

I don't know what expression is playing on my mask. Hers remained cold. A part of me wants to break down and cry.

"Tho, that'sh it then. You don't want my help."

She nods; it sets me off—

"I'm thorry!" She flinched at my outburst. "I know I messthed up! Do you hate me now?"

She didn't respond. ".. Did you ever like me?"

I'm getting my feelings mixed—growing frustration with hurt. I want to brush the hair out of her face and give her I ultimate sign that I

"I never cared about you."

Now you're just, " _Liar!_ "

"What?"

"That'sth not true!"

"Sure it is." Keeping so calm I can barely stand it—She's making me look like a lunatic!

My eyes went blind to her emotions, "I _know_ you cared one way or another –loved me or hated me—you cared!"

. . . .

A sound coming from her throat bubbled up as giggles, sharp and biting. I hear her strangle words before, "I _hated_ you."

My heart undergoes severe pain. "Wasth I ever a friend to you? What about that night?!" Eyes clear up finally and her face is in alarm. This was not the same night that only I remember. "You're lying, Vanellope, and you _know it!_ "

 _Why did you have to hurt me again?!_

"There wasth something; I wanted us to be—!"

Vanellope flinched under me. I just realized that my hands had been gripping onto her shoulders, hard. The cane had been thrown across the room. I have no idea how I look like to her now and frankly I'm not going to bother in trying to figure it out. I pry myself away repelling from her warmth, even though I wanted to hold on.. And…

Grave sigh.

 _…_ _. Vanellope.._

"You chose thisth." Picking up my cane now to point it at her threateningly, "You should have sthtayed put wherever you were living all thisth time. It would have made it easthier for us."

I grate my teeth, wanting to growl and snarl but I prevent myself from it, "But nope. You don't get it. You're a sthtubborn girl, and you've deserved this fate." I reach the door handle, "You'll rot in thisth dungeon."

.. I have a thought.

"Unlessth. . ."

I glance back at her, gears whirring at an idea that I've failed to repress.

The race will be over. Ralph is gone. Fix-it-Felix is secured. He'll be sent back home with a warning soon enough. Things will be just like before.

We can, move on.

Vanellope has eyebrows scrunched, more confused than anything. I'm giving a smile which manages to lift my spirits.

"Thee you later, dearest."

I click the door shut behind me and lock her inside. My precious gift and treasure.


End file.
